Automotive body

Abstract

The invention relates to a body of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one body element, exhibiting at least one cavity; an opening for introducing a cavity protective fluid into the cavity; and comprising a sealing element in the cavity, which divides the cavity into two subcavities.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a body of a motor vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In the automotive industry it is known to seal the cavities of the body elements, in particular pillar and frame member cross sections. Thus, the transition region of two body elements, for example a connecting node between a door sill and a pillar, is sealed. Between the sill and the pillar there is a sealing element, which separates the cavity into two subcavities. Two other subcavities can be formed, for example, by means of the sill and the adjoining wheel house. The sealing element, located between the subcavities, serves in particular to seal the wet and dry area in order to prevent moisture, which is present in the frame members or the pillars from passing into the interior of the vehicle. In addition, these sealing elements reduce the transfer of airborne sound inside the frame member and pillar structure.

[0003] To introduce a protective liquid against corrosion, especially liquid wax, into the cavity, one infers from the DE 691 02 009 T2 that there should be an opening in the direction of the cavity. Through said opening the liquid wax can be introduced in the warm state. After cooling or solidifying, this liquid wax forms a protective layer against corrosion on the inside walls of the cavities. Then this opening to the cavity is sealed with a stopper.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a body of a motor vehicle, with which a cavity protection is also achieved in the subcavities, which are separated from each other by means of a sealing element.

[0005] This problem is solved with a body of a motor vehicle that exhibits the features disclosed in claim 1. Other features of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0006] The advantages, achieved predominantly with the invention, lie in the fact that in operating the vehicle the airborne sound cannot propagate from one subcavity to another subcavity, because the solidified protective fluid for the cavity forms a barrier in the airborne sound segment. It is especially advantageous that for the protection of the cavity, the liquid protective fluid for the cavity can be introduced through the siphon into each of the subcavities. In addition, a liquid seal in the direction of the subcavities in achieved.

[0007] The siphon can be provided especially easily and economically according to the design variants, disclosed in claims 2 and 3. As an alternative, an insert could also be introduced as the sealing element into the body element. Said insert exhibits a continuous channel, which is curved at least in segments and thus forms a siphon curve.

[0008] The invention is explained in detail below by means of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a detail of a car body in the transition region between the wheel house and the door sill.

[0010] FIG. 2 depicts the filling of the cavities with liquid wax.

[0011] FIG. 3 depicts the siphon, which lies between two subcavities and which is sealed by means of solidified wax, according to a first embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1; and

[0013] FIG. 5 depicts a siphon, inserted into a body element, according to a second embodiment.

[0014] The car body 1, of which only a detail is shown in FIG. 1, comprises several body elements 2, which are shown purely as an example by means of a wheel house 3 and a side or door sill 4. Other body elements, which are not reproduced here, can be, for example, the roof frame; the pillars, extending between the roof frame and the door sill; the transverse frame members, extending between the door sills, or other pillars and frame members as well as a front windshield cowl.

[0015] The body 1 or at least one of the body elements 2 has a cavity 5, which is divided into two subcavities 7 and 8 by means of a sealing element 6, which is also referred to as a compartmentalization. Of course, the sealing element 6 can also lie between two cavities 5 of two adjoining body elements 2 and thus seal the cross section of at least one of the body elements 2. At least one of the cavities 5 exhibits an inlet opening 9, through which a protective fluid W for the cavity, for example a preservative, in particular liquid wax, can be introduced into the cavity 5. The liquid wax W is at least liquid when introduced into the cavities 5, 7, and 8 so that owing to gravity it flows downward into the cavities 5 or subcavities 7 and 8, as is evident from FIG. 2. So that the liquid wax W can pass from the subcavity 7 into the subcavity 8 and into the cavity 5 of the door sill 4, the sealing element 6 has a passage 10, which is realized as a siphon 11, through which, according to FIG. 2, the liquid wax W can flow. However, the siphon 11 is not totally emptied, rather residual liquid wax W remains in the siphon 11. When the liquid wax W solidifies, for example, by means of cooling, it forms in the siphon 9 a wax sealing stopper 12 (FIG. 3), which constitutes a barrier for sound energy fluxes, which propagate inside the hollow body elements 2. Thus, with the siphon 11 the goal is reached that areas of the body 1 that are sealed by means of the sealing elements can be preserved with wax and still fulfill the acoustical requirements of totally tight compartmentalization.

[0016] As evident from FIG. 4, a body element 2 is formed preferably by means of two blanks 13 and 14, which are designed preferably as sheet metal blanks and are mechanically worked into the shape of a shell. The two blanks 13 and 14 are connected together, for example by welding, at their peripheral regions and thus fitted together to form a sheet bar 15, which forms then the body element 2. The cross section of the sheet bar 15 and thus the cross section of the cavity 5 are rectangular in shape; of course, it can be arbitrarily circular or square. In the illustrated embodiment the siphon 11 is formed inside the sheet bar 15 by means of two separating elements 16 and 17, which are separated from each in the flow direction F of the liquid wax W. Each separating element 16 or 17 exhibits a passage opening 18 or 19 respectively. Each separating element 16 and 17 can extend over the entire cross section of the cavity 5 and exhibit a breakthrough as the passage opening. The two passages 18 and 19 are then offset, as seen at right angles to the flow direction F of the liquid wax W. Thus, the siphon 11 can be realized in a simple way, when the separating elements are arranged in such a manner that there is a siphon curve 20, in which a residual quantity of wax remains. Preferably the separating elements 16 and 17 are oriented in such a manner that they enclose with the horizontal line H an angle alpha.

[0017] Preferred is an embodiment, in which the two separating elements 16 and 17 extend only partially over the cross section of the cavity 5, as evident in FIGS. 1 to 4. Thus, the first passage opening 18 lies between the free end of the first separating element 16 and the inside wall of the sheet bar 15. The second passage opening 19 lies between the free end of the second separating element 17 and the inside wall of the sheet bar 15 so that even in this design of the sealing element 6 the passage openings are offset in relation to each other.

[0018] Prior to assembling the two blanks 13 and 14, one of the separating elements 16 or 17 is inserted preferably into each blank and connected, preferably rigidly, to the blank 13 or 14. During assembly of the blanks 13 and 14 to form a sheet bar 15, the siphon 11 is formed. Of course, it is also possible to insert both the first and also the second separating element 16 and 17 into one of the blanks 13 or 14 and to connect them rigidly to the same and then to join the blanks together.

[0019] Thus, with the sealing element 6, exhibiting the siphon 11, it is possible to introduce in such a manner the liquid wax into areas of the body 1 that cannot be otherwise preserved that, as the wax flows through the inlet opening 9, the liquid wax W enters, as seen in the flow direction F, into the lower order cavities, but then subsequently, that is after the wax has solidified, seals the siphon 11 by means of the residual wax remaining as the sealing stopper 12. In at least one of the body elements 2 there is an outlet opening 21, from which too much introduced wax W can drain. Both the inlet 9 and the outlet 21 opening can be sealed with sealing means (not illustrated).

[0020] According to FIG. 5, it is provided for a second embodiment of a siphon 111 in the cavity 5 that this siphon 111 is designed in an insert 22, forming the sealing element 6. The insert has a continuous tube 23, which connects the subcavities 16 and 17 and which thus exhibits the passage opening 18 or 19 on each end 24 or 25 of the insert. These ends can be formed by means of the separating elements 16, 17, between which lies the tube 23, which is designed as a curve in segments and thus forms a siphon curve 120, in which the sealing stopper 12 is disposed.

Claims

1. Body of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one body element, exhibiting at least one cavity; an opening for introducing a cavity protective fluid into the cavity, and comprising a sealing element in the cavity, said sealing element dividing the cavity into two subcavities, characterized in that the sealing element (6) exhibits a passage (10) for the solidifying cavity protective fluid (W), in particular liquid wax, and that the passage (10) is designed as a siphon (11, 111).

2. Body, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the body element (2) exhibits two blanks (13, 14), which are connected together to form a sheet bar (15), and that the siphon (11, 111) is formed by means of two separating elements (16, 17), which lie so as to be separated from each other in the flow direction (F) of the wax, with a passage opening (18, 19), whereby the first and second passage openings (18, 19), formed thus, are offset in relation to each other.

3. Body, as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the two separating elements (16, 17) extend partially in the cross section of the cavity (5), where the first passage opening (18) lies between the free end of the one separating element (16) and one of the blanks (13), and the second passage opening (19) lies between the free end of the other separating element (17) and the other blank (13).

4. Body, as claimed in any one of the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the siphon (111) is formed by means of a tube (23), exhibiting a siphon curve (120).

5. Body, as claimed in any one of the claims 2, 3, and 4, characterized in that the separating elements (6a, 6b) seal a pillar and/or frame member cross section of the motor vehicle.